ITV joins Saatchi & Saatchi as founding partner of Upriser, the creative company’s nationwide schools platform

ITV joins Saatchi & Saatchi as founding partner of Upriser, the creative company’s nationwide schools platform

Leading creative company Saatchi & Saatchi has today announced ITV as its founding partner for Upriser, the free creative schools platform that it launched at the end of 2022. 

ITV is the first major name to be announced, with a number of other partners currently being matched and onboarded at schools across the UK as part of the Upriser programme. Initially partnering with  Kensington Aldridge Academy, located within a mile of ITV’s new White City HQ, ITV intends to expand the partnership to schools in other cities, including Manchester, within its network as 2023 unfolds. Additional creative partners will also ensure a presence for the platform in Leeds and Newcastle by late spring. 

Upriser is Saatchi & Saatchi’s response to what the agency describes as a ‘creative crisis’: a sustained lack of funding for creative and cultural programmes in school - equating to just £9.40 a year per student - which is on track to deal a devastating blow to the UK’s creative output due to a lack of future talent coming into the industry.

Designed to inspire with the power of creativity, Upriser offers young people aged 11-18 a real, tangible introduction and route into the creative industries. To scale the platform across the UK, Saatchi & Saatchi are inviting any British creative company that wants to facilitate meaningful change to enroll as a school partner. 

Partners who sign up are matched with schools local to them, and work closely with Saatchi & Saatchi to implement a long term, meaningful programme within that school, tailored to each company’s specialisms, skills and capabilities. Partner businesses and schools are also given access to a 70-page open-source playbook, which offers a sustainable blueprint of multi-layered 1:1 mentoring programmes, lesson plans, workplace visits and other creative initiatives, and is informed by Saatchi & Saatchi’s two year partnership with Harris Academy Greenwich.

Kate Waters, Director of Client Strategy and Planning, ITV says,"So often, school-focused initiatives from businesses look great, but end up being a flash in the pan. So when we learned about Upriser - and specifically that Saatchis expected us to make a long term commitment to the programme and our partner school - we quickly knew this was something we needed to be a part of. We often talk about the power of TV and this is a real opportunity to create change through a sustainable platform. We are delighted to be Saatchis founding partner and, as we move to ITV Commercial's new home at White City, to be a real part of a community by working with our new neighbours at Kensington Aldridge Academy.” 

James Waller, Assistant Principal, Kensington Aldridge Academy says, “We are thrilled to be a part of the Upriser programme. Working with a large, creative company such as ITV will provide exciting, informative and enriching experiences for our students and many of these have already started. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the programme is that there is a genuine commitment on both sides to make a long lasting and sustainable seven year partnership that is rooted in both the academic and pastoral strands of the curriculum. We are looking forward to maximising the potential of this fantastic opportunity.”

Franki Goodwin, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi adds, “We’ve been clear from the start that we can’t implement meaningful change by ourselves. This is a problem that needs the weight of our entire industry thrown at it, and we could not have hoped for a better founding partner than ITV. Not only are they a household name with a nationwide network, their team has also quickly proved themselves to be exactly the kind of people we need in the programme - upbeat, driven, kind and determined to drive change. We’re excited to see the impact they have.” 

Any businesses wishing to learn more and get involved in Upriser can enquire via https://saatchiupriser.co.uk/.

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 About Saatchi & Saatchi

Saatchi & Saatchi have a simple ambition to create the most influential creative ideas for modern Britain. This spirit is brought to bear on transformative work for clients including EE, BT, Direct Line, GSK, Britvic, Pilgrims and Siemens, alongside recent new business wins including Subway and AlTi. 

The Saatchi & Saatchi network unites 114 offices in 67 countries and 6,500 people. Saatchi & Saatchi is part of the Publicis Groupe. www.saatchi.co.uk

About ITV

ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster consisting of ITV Studios and Media & Entertainment. 

ITV Studios is a world-class international creator, producer and distributor. It is the largest commercial producer in the UK, one of the largest producers in Europe and one of the largest independent unscripted producers in the US.

Through ITV Studios we create, produce and distribute high-quality award-winning content for broadcasters and platform owners around the world. Our footprint spans 13 countries, and we have 60 labels supplying over 200 channels and 90,000+ hours of active content in our catalogue. =

In Media & Entertainment we commission brilliant programmes in a full range of genres, including a wealth of entertainment formats, high-quality drama, must-watch sporting events, impactful factual and award-winning current affairs and journalism. We make this available to audiences through our family of channels, the biggest commercial network in the UK, and through ITVX the new ad-funded, free streaming home for ITV and new programme premieres. ITVX also features a subscription option, for audiences who want to watch ad-free, and get access to BritBox UK. 

Worldwide, ITV has several SVOD services including BritBox International which is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and South Africa and The Nordics. 

ITV's Social Purpose is to use its platform and reach to shape culture for good. It is an integral part of how ITV sets and delivers its business goals, and has four focus areas: Better Health, Diversity & Inclusion, Climate Action and Giving Back.